I'm tryin to decide weather or not to gear my stock axles or upgrade to 44s. I have a 99 cherokee on 33s that I just replaced the motor in. I do weekend trail ridin mostly but I still enjoy drivin it on the road. I've decided on 4.56 gears regardless of the axles however I don't know if I should keep the d30 in the front and Chrysler 8.25 in the rear or go with a front and rear d44 pack that are already built. Feedback on this is appreciated

 

If you're not breaking anything why would you swap in 44's?

That is a waste of money and time on 33's.

 

I'm running the exact setup as you but mine isn't a DD mostly all trails and off road some pretty HD going. I have Detroit Lockers in my D30 stock axles/Chy 8.25 29 spline 4.56 gear 33x12:50x15's.

So far I have not broken anything and in a few very rough spots.

 

Your stock axles are good up until like 37s or something like that.

So just re-gear what you already have.

 

If I was on 37's I would want at least a 44/9"

 

Bingo. Stock axles and 33's get along fine in my op.

 

Well considering the Chrysler 8.25 is basically like a 44, it seems like a pointless upgrade IMHO.

 

I don't really consider a 8.25 or a 44 to be similar strength wise (even a 29 spline 8.25.) A non-built 44 is marginally weaker than a Ford 8.8, and a good bit weaker than a 9". Not pointless by any means. You'd be hard pressed to keep a 8.25 alive for any length of time on 37's.

 

What about a 8.25 with a truss and some choice welding?

 

I would bet that a good wheeler with smart use of the skinny pedal could make 35/36/37's last for a while, but ultimately the 8.25 would be the weak link. It also depends on the rig. A optioned XJ loaded up with gear, spare tire, winch, bumpers, etc. can weigh surprisingly more than a base model that's been stripped for trail use.

 

I disagree with you.

One of the leading officers of TBAJA did extreme wheeling for two or more years with 35s on his Dana 35. While I don't recommend that, it goes to show that people on this forum can exaggerate a bit in terms of axle choice.

The 29-spline Chrysler 8.25 is comparable to a Dana 44 and can take a truckload of abuse; I'd even bet with 37s. I'd trust it on my own Jeep.

People pick the Dana 44 because it is just a hair stronger with its extra spline, although it has very thin axle tubes. On the other hand, it has very good aftermarket support, far superior to the Chrysler 8.25.

 

On 33s your stock axles beefed up are fine.If you go bigger tires or start breaking stuff i would jump up to 1 ton axles(dana 60 gm 14 bolt rear).

 

Thank you for all your feedback I get the picture now. Oddly enough I was mostly concerned about the d30 because I have had several buddies brake. Though the jeep is not a daily driver I did just drive it from Manchester tn to Nashville which is a little over 60 miles and it rides great but I don't wanna lose the ability to do that by tryin to make it a beast. So stock axles. Y'all think 4.56 are good or?....and suggestions on lockers are appreciated

 

The older Dana 30 like on your XJ is a decent front axle. Those things are pretty reliable. The newer ones that come on the JKs... not so much. They are slightly flawed in their design and some users have actually broken them. They seem to break in the same spot each time.

4.56 is a good choice for 33s as it will put you pretty close to the stock power band. And for lockers, some good names are Detroit, Aussie, and OX.

 

If it's not your DD 4.56's with 33's are perfect. If it is your DD, go 4.10's. I say this from experience running 4.56's & 33's on a d30 and 8.25. Mine is my DD and weekend wheeler and even though the 4.56's are nice in the trails I'd rather have 4.10's for the daily driving. Just my .02.